WHAT HAPPENED: Last year Bianca Andreescu lost in the qualifying rounds at the US Open.
Fast forward to 2019. In her main-draw debut at the US Open, the fiery 15th-seeded teen has advanced to her first career major semifinal.
The 19-year-old Canadian overcame an error-strewn first set and used her superior firepower to came back to beat No. 25 seed Elise Mertens, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, on Wednesday evening.
“This is honestly so crazy,” said Andreescu. “What I’ve accomplished this year, I’m honestly speechless. I need someone to pinch me right now.”
“Is this real life?” she asked the night crowd.
In the opening set, the 5-foot-10 Mertens, a smooth ballstriker from Belgium, was impenetrable from the backcourt. Andreescu struggled to find her timing and range, misfiring with her heavy ground strokes.
But in the second set, the young Canadian quickly turned things around. She began to mix things up, alternating power with net approaches and deep, looping shots to throw Mertens off her rhythm. Andreescu broke Mertens three times, winning 17 of the last 21 points, and rolled through the second set.
The third set remained close, until Andreescu stepped on the gas at 4-3. She broke serve for the fourth time in the match with a powerful backhand return down the line for a winner.
It was the decisive advantage she needed to close out the match and push on into the semis.
WHAT IT MEANS: Andreescu has created a sensation on tour when she has been healthy—and indeed, was a trendy dark-horse pick before the US Open began. The Canadian won two of the biggest hard-court tournaments this year, Indian Wells and Toronto, with wins over five Top-10 players, but Andreescu also missed a large chunk of the season, including the French Open (where she pulled out after a first-round win) and Wimbledon, with shoulder injuries.
The powerfully built Andreescu now plays 13th seed Belinda Bencic in the semifinals. Andreescu is a perfect 7-0 versus Top-10 competition in her young career, with all of those wins coming in 2019. She would meet a player ranked in the Top 10 were she to advance to the final—either Serena Williams or Elina Svitolina.
MATCH POINT: Andreescu has an impressive record in matches that go the distance: She is 13-3 this year.
